Ducati 1199 Panigale, Checkmate.

Ducati has never ceased to amaze with their line of motorcycle which combine artistic form and performance.

The new Ducati 1199 Panigale! Ducati claims a 195hp at the crank!! The specs of the bike are below! Lets home one comes to Singapore Soon!

Honestly Honestly Stunning.

1199 Panigale Technical specification

Chassis
Frame	Monocoque aluminum
Front suspension	Marzocchi 50mm pressurized and fully adjustable usd fork with hard anodized aluminum lightweight slider
Front wheel	10-spoke light alloy 3.50" x 17"
Rear suspension	Fully adjustable Sachs unit. Adjustable linkage: Progressive/flat. Aluminum single-sided swingarm.
Rear wheel	10 spoke light alloy 6.00" x 17"
Front brake	2 x 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc M50 4-piston callipers ABS optional +2.5kg (+5.5lb)
Rear brake	245mm disc, 2-piston calliper
Fuel tank capacity	17l (4.5 gallon US)
Dry weight	164kg (361.5lb)
*Wet weight	188kg (414.5lb)

Engine
Type	Superquadro: L-twin cylinder, 4 valve per cylinder, Desmodromic, liquid cooled
Bore x Stroke	112 x 60.8mm
Power	195hp (143kw) @ 10,750rpm
Torque	98.1lb-ft (132Nm) @ 9.000rpm
Exhaust	2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes. Twin stainless steel mufflers with alumimum outer sleeves
Transmission
Clutch	Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control

Trip to Port Dickson: Riding Around Port Dickson Pt 3.

The view from the hotel cafe which is situated next to its boathouse on the last day of my stay there.

Don't ever want to leave this bed.

The Sunrise from the room.

All in all the cost of the hotel amounted up to about 300rm for the 3 days but it was well worth the trip, the security at the hotel and the views of the area was stunning.

Now started the long 300km ride back to Singapore from Seremban Via the North-South Highway.

This is going to be a long way home.

We rode by the same route back to Singapore except we did not stop for lunch at Malacca as we had already   had our fill to eat at the hotel. Down the road I was hoping that there would not be any problems with the Duct Taped Fairing from the trip up.

The trip home was pretty uneventful except the stunning views of the hills, 'Kampongs' (thatched houses) and farms that greeted us on the way back to home.

similar views from the same road. :)

3/4's of the way back along the Johor Stretch of the North South Highway things managed to get a little interesting.

Somewhere Just about there.

I was cruising along at about 140km/h when I saw a rider pushing his Honda Hornet 250 On the side of the road. I pulled over to see if I could offer him any help. I was mentally prepared for an engine breakdown, coolant leak, oil leak or something serious of that sort. Turns out he had ran out of gas. The nearest gas station would be about a mile and a half away. So I took out a water bottle to give him some gas.

Once again by the side of the Malaysian North-South Highway

I gave him about 500ml of petrol which would be enough to get him to the next petrol station. He was extremely grateful for it and he tried to pay me for the petrol. I was content with simply just being friends. I was surprised to learn that his Honda Hornet had actually been bought in Singapore for about SGD1500!! God that bike looks fantastic!

And so we set off after exchanging contacts and his father contacting me and thanking me for helping his son out later was a warm and nice gesture.

That pretty much sums up the fill of the short 'roadtrip' getaway from Singapore to Port Dickson!

10 Things I have learnt while riding in Singapore Pt 1.

These are a couple of things I have learnt about the roads around Singapore in the minute number of miles since I got my licence.

1. If no one saw it, it did not happen

This definitely happened, Dude.

This is the "heck care" or lackadaisical attitude that most Singaporeans tend to take when driving and if they hit someone or something, most of the time, they would say things like "WHERE GOT? WHERE GOT? I DID NOT HIT YOU!" [ what they are trying to say is: "I did not even feel my large heap of metal turn you into paste" ] and if they are caught red handed, they will simply act as if there is no damage to your vehicle  or persons whatsoever. 

2. Car drivers do not care whether you are in the lane and will simply pull out as and when they wish 

your next trip to the hospital.

3. The hot and humid weather and a tad bit of ignorance leads MANY riders to dress as if they were in their homes, eg. Singlets, Shorts and Slippers.

you might think that's cool.

If she takes a fall in that position she is probably going to have a dislocated pelvis and it will not be pretty. Most riders in Singapore do not take safety seriously enough, and it is common sight to see even younger supposedly more educated riders often riding without any safety precautions in place.

4. Old taxicab drivers would scream at you in Hokkien if you squeeze them off after a tiff even if it was initially their fault

5. Both Cars and Motorcycle lots are often misused by really crabby people; this usually happens at the times when one simply wishes to park his/her vehicle in a crowded carpark to proceed on with their activities.

Even a blind man can park better than you

Parking in Singapore, pronounced by most locals as "Pah King" can be a living hell, sometimes you wait almost half an hour for a lot and some guy just "steals" it away from you. Especially in a small country like Singapore the parking can get a little more than a little cramped on a daily basis. To avoid people from cheating and not paying their parking fees in the carparks by not tearing the relevant coupons and such.

This sells better in Singapore than 4D/Lotto Tickets

The Government or "Gah Ment" / "Ah Kong" [Meaning Grandfather] has installed electronic gantries with cameras and all the other bells and whistles. 

Cringing at every cold and mechanical beep

Honestly, this does not really help the problem as it makes it more likely that people will take up 2 Parking spaces with one car, or park in a non specified place all the more, as the good old fashioned policing is no longer in place, where an attendant would come and manually check on cars/motorcycles parked in the area at that time.

Part 2 To be Up Soon! =d

NS and Riding FAQs

For all of you riders whom are soon going to wear green or are wearing green and going to get a bike licence, Here are a few FAQs about NS and Riding. In the past few weeks I have had fresh NS Full time Servicemen (Fresh out of BMT) asking me, a "lau peng" ( A personnel whom is about to complete his 2 years of service or a reservist personnel) about riding into camp.

Procedures for riding into SAF camps and certain other installations inclusive of certain civillian engineering sectors:

1) You are REQUIRED to attend a minimum 1/2 day Defensive Riding Course.

The defensive riding course will be reimbursed by the SAF provided you apply for it through your man-power branch OR your admin branch, where you would have to fill out some forms. The waiting time in general is about a month or two before you can take the course if you do it that way. The course would then be held at SSDC ( Singapore Safety Driving Center ) . There are faster ways of getting around this by applying for your defensive riding course at CDC (Comfort Delgro Driving Center) or BBDC (Bukit Batok Driving Center). Applying at these centers directly would mean your waiting time would be cut to about a week.

 However the defensive riding course if taken at CDC or BBDC WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

There is no way to cham siong (meaning to try to negotiate to get yourself out of a spot of trouble) and you will not be allowed to ride into SAF camps without a defensive riding certificate.

2) You have your Defensive Riding Cert, Now What?

If you already posses your defensive riding cert, you would have to go to camp and exchange it for a certain agreement "contract" with the Man-power Branch or Military Transport Line. It comes in the form of a book. You will have to Sign the undertaking and so will your superior (usually a regular serviceman) to allow you to ride into camp. 

3) I've Signed the Undertaking so what proof do I get that I have attended the course?

After signing the undertaking, flip to the back of the book and remove a circular disc sticker about the size of a 20cent coin and stick it on your 11B (your replacement Identification Card for the 2 years) preferably. Such as below on the bottom left hand corner of the Identification Card the Singapore Armed Forces Crest and some random writings below.

Things to take note of:

1) You are not allowed to take a pillion to and from camp or place of duty if you are under 24 years of age.

2) You are to ride responsibly when in uniform and when in camp

3) The Military Police on the road may stop you and check you if you are in uniform so try to book out in civillian clothing if possible.

4) Defensive Riding is not a test, there is no "pass" or "fail" to worry about so simply go there and enjoy the day!

The failure to abide by these 2 main rules may get you a disqualification of your defensive driving "licence" following which you will no longer be allowed to ride into SAF camps.